Understanding Workouts In Books etc.

A difficult part of working out for me has always been working out a training regimen. I find any workout plan from the book or the net really difficult to understand. Like, I bought this book and considering the type of book it is it should have easy to follow workouts but I just can't comprehend it.

Pkrshrk saidA difficult part of working out for me has always been working out a training regimen. I find any workout plan from the book or the net really difficult to understand. Like, I bought this book and considering the type of book it is it should have easy to follow workouts but I just can't comprehend it.

Does anyone else have the same issue or am I just stupid?

What can I do to understand it?

Not sure which book you have, but a few months ago, I picked up a copy of The Men's Health Big Book of Exercises. Has tons of exercises and pics, plus what I found to be really simple and clear explanations that walk you through the movements. Clearest resource I have ever found, short of a personal trainer--and the book was much more affordable.

I have noticed problems numerous times in exercise descriptions in magazines. (At one time, I cut out a lot of workout regimens from ... Men's Fitness, I think it was, and kept them in a notebook.)

Frequently, they would skip a step in describing a complex motion. E.g. one minute you're on the floor, the next, you seem to be stepping...? Most of the time, they don't mention returning to the starting position, and sometimes it's not obvious. The photographs sometimes show something completely different from what they describe.

Fast sloppy writing, and I'd guess that they have to use whatever photos they have from a shoot, even if they didn't get the right shots.

They probably figure that at least 90% of their readers are only buying the magazine for the soft porn, and will never try to actually do those things.

If I were looking for new exercises now, I think I'd seek out video clips instead of printed matter

Youtube is your friend. I've had the same problem you're having where some of the exercises in various books are described in such a way as to be super confusing. It helps me to see an exercise done, so searching for it on Youtube has proven very helpful. And chances are whatever you're looking for is on there.

Also don't be afraid to ask others at the gym. You'd be surprised how friendly and helpful people can be. Just don't go interrupting someone in the middle of a set.

Try Muscle Up by Matt Roberts. You should be able to buy it on Amazon and it doesn't cost more than £5.

This a really good simple workout book, the exercises are clearly described and illustrated. It is small enough to take to the gym as it's a pocketbook and is very easy to follow. It contains all the major exercises you need to bulk up and is split into 2 exercise sessions. All the exercises focus on three parts of the anatomy - arms, chest and abs. I found it to be very helpful and the exercises all flow together logically so you start with the big muscles first and move on to the smaller ones.

redheadguy saidTry Muscle Up by Matt Roberts. You should be able to buy it on Amazon and it doesn't cost more than £5.

This a really good simple workout book, the exercises are clearly described and illustrated. It is small enough to take to the gym as it's a pocketbook and is very easy to follow. It contains all the major exercises you need to bulk up and is split into 2 exercise sessions. All the exercises focus on three parts of the anatomy - arms, chest and abs. I found it to be very helpful and the exercises all flow together logically so you start with the big muscles first and move on to the smaller ones.

to clarify, what really confuses me is the workout *plans*. as in like day one you do this day two you do that. workout ABC day 123, know what i'm sayin? the way the books set it out in tables really confuses me. maybe i have some form of dyslexia i don't know..